Definition

Noun: * Movement away from a chemical stimulus: A biological process in which a cell or organism moves or orients itself away from the source of a specific chemical. This is a form of repellent response.

Usage

• "Negative chemotaxis" is a specialized scientific term used primarily in biology, microbiology, and immunology.
• It describes a directed movement, distinguishing it from random motion.
• It is often discussed in contrast to its opposite, positive chemotaxis (movement toward a chemical stimulus).

Examples

• In a sentence:
  • White blood cells exhibit negative chemotaxis away from certain bacterial toxins.
  • The study focused on the mechanisms of negative chemotaxis in soil bacteria repelled by waste products.
  • Observing negative chemotaxis helps us understand how organisms avoid harmful substances.

Advanced Usage

• The term is frequently used in experimental descriptions: "The assay was designed to measure negative chemotaxis in response to the pollutant."
• It can be part of a compound adjective, though the core term remains "negative chemotaxis": "The negative-chemotaxis response was clearly recorded."

Variants and Related Words

• Chemotaxis (n): The broader, umbrella term for movement of an organism or cell in response to a chemical stimulus. Negative chemotaxis is a specific type of chemotaxis.
• Positive chemotaxis (n): Movement a chemical stimulus (the direct antonym).
• Chemorepellent (n): A chemical agent that induces negative chemotaxis.

Synonyms

• Repellent taxis (less common)
• Avoidance response (to a chemical) (broader, less specific)

Antonyms

• Positive chemotaxis (n): Movement toward a chemical stimulus.

Noun

1. movement away from a chemical stimulus